Insulated rail-joint.



No. 878,588. PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

B. WOLHAUPTER. INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1906.

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// IIIII/IIIIIIl/l 71/ W Svwentoz N0 878,588. PATENTED FEB. 11, 19,08. B. WOLHAUPTER.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT, APPLIGAT LY27, 1906.

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. functions of joints of that character.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, or nnwvonn N. Y1, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT' COMPANY,

, or NEW YORK, N."Y., A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

INSULATED BAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1 1,1908.

. Applicationfiled July 27. 1906 Serial No. 328.062.

ject ofrail joints, and more, particularly to that type ofrail joints technically. termed insulated .joints and performing. the usual this end the invention has in view an improved type of insulated rail joint involving a novel and practical method or process of manufacture which not only greatly facilitates ,the application of the joints to rails but also reduces the cost of making; Also the invention contem lates' a-means of placing insulated material about the rail ends and between the latter and the rail joint members whereby a perfect insulation is secured throughout the entire extent of the joint and about the'bolts thereof. With this and ,many other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of'the invention is better, understood,.the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of arts heremafter more fully described and i ustrated'in the claims.

. The essentialfeature of the invention involved in the idea of molding'insulating material in a plastic state .about'the rail ends and within the spaces between the same and the-rail joint members, necessarily susceptible to a very'wide range of modification both as to the process or method for carrying into effect the molding" operation and also as to the structural features of'thejo'int members according to the particular type of rail joint with w'hichthe invention may be associated. However, for purposes of illustration, one practical embodiment of the invention .is suggested in the accompanying drawv lo s in which,

i ure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a rail joint preserving the general characteristics of the well-known insulated continuous type of joint, and embodying the present invention. view of the same type of joint insulated by the improved method of insulation the line of section being through the vertical plane of one of the joint bolts. Fig. 3 is a cross- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional sectional view in the same plane as Fig. 2 and showing the parts of the rail joint set up as a mold, preliminary to carrying out the molding operation of shaping the plastic molding material about the rail ends. Fi 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the plastic material molded into thespaces to be insu-v lated, illustrating the bolt-hole cores removed. I In carrying out the invention it is not essential to. employ any special type or construction of rail joint proper as the distinctive' and distinguishing feature claimed herein is that of molding suitable insulatin material in a lastic state directly about rai ends and wit iin any suitable or approved rail joint members, whereby such insulation will completely fill up all spaces and interstices between opposing metallic surfaces, thus insuring 5 a continuous, com lete and.

joint. Hence, for illustrativepurposes' there is shownin the drawings, an insulated rail joint preserving in the main the essential characteristics of that type of rail joint known to railway engineers as the continuous joint. This joint includes in its general organization the rail ends A-A, the opposite side angle plates 11, and the joint bolts 2, connecting said plates and passing through the bolt-holes 3 and 4, re-

spectivelyin the web of the rails and in the said-side angle plates. I In the form of railjoint referred to, each of the side angle plates 1, is provided at the upper edge of its upright portion with a flange bearing head 5, arranged opposite the under bearing face 6, of the rail head, and at the lower edge of said upright portion of each said angleplate the latter is provided with a foot flange 7, lying over the base flange of the rail, and with a base flange extension 8, prbjected from said foot flange 7, and lying in a substantially horizontal position beneath the rail base. Said angle plates 1, having elements of substantially the form, relation and position abovealescribed, when set oil'froin the sides of the rail ends provide what may be termed a well-defined mold casing having its molding space extending about the rail. sides and bottom, and 1 ing between all opposing metallic surfaces 0 the it is to be observed thatthe invention is preferably carried out by forming the bolt holes side plates and the rail. In this connection 75 thorough insulation throughout t e entire i ao '1 tom of the rail, which space may be properlyi 3 and 4 sufiiciently larger than the bolts, 2,

toprovide spaces within such holes forming a part'of the main molding space or spaces receivin .the insulating material, 9, which. ISflOWQj into'said space or spaces from any convenient oint.

The mol ed insulating material 9, may conslst of any non-conducting, plastic-material or composition such as fiber or rubber r jception ofthe'. insulating material 9, in a plastic state.

site joint members maybe blocked or jacked .ports to hold them ina relative position compositions capable of being reduced to a plastic condition, and then handled in the way contemplated by the present invention,

.thatis, flowed into a circuitous or irregular molding space or spaces, and afterwards becoming set or hardened 1n such a manner as Referring particularly to these figures of the drawings, it will be observed that the first step in the processof making the joint is shown in Fig.3 and consists in setting up the rail joint members, 1-1, in' any suitable way, about the adjoining rail-ends so as to .leave a well-defined intervening space between said inembersand the sides and botcharacterized as a molding space for the re- The rail ends and the oppoup by means of any suitable blocking or supto form the. mold sh'ownlin Fi 3-of the drawings, while the ends of tie molding spaces at the ends of theyjoint members or bars may be temporarily closed b molders sand or equivalent closures unti the insu 'tion with the rail joint members,'ofa molded lating material has hardened sufficiently to retain its position- Also in order 'to make roper provision for the insulation of the bots 2 in the bolt-holes 3 and 4,..temporary bolt-holev cores 10 are arranged I through the alined. bolt-holes 3 and- 4 and to The said temporary cores are sup orted-ori the-side lates 1, through the mer ium of any suitab e holdin means 11 old in centered positions so thatwhen, in the nextstep of the process, the insula'ing material in a lastic'state is flowed inside of the joint such materialwillfind and fill all spaces aTnd will also flow about the cores 10, mto the boltholes 3 and 4,"wit h the result-of forming an integral insulating bolt sleeve'12, within the bolt-hole 3, in the rail web, and integral insutween the rail ends may or may not be used in connection with themain molded insulatbody of insulation therein, and finay reand joint members.

ends between the opposing faces of the latter and'the joint mem 4 o'f the sideplates. After the insulating material has set sufficiently, the temporary cores 10 are replaced by the -j-'oint bolts 2, which may be supplied at' their ends with insulating washers l4, serving-to insulate the heads and nuts of the bolts from the outer sides of the angle plates. The ordinary .i sulating end posts, P, be

ma bolt thimbles 13', within, the bolt-holes a ing body 9. I

lclaimz, 1. A process of making insulated rail joints .which' consists first in setting up in spaced.- reIation the 'rails and rail joint members to form thereby a mold having a molding space between said rails and members, andthen' casting plastic insulating material in said molding space to form an integrated body of" insulationtherein; I i 1' 2. A process of making insulated rail joints, which consist first'in s'ettingup the rails and rail jointmembers in spaced relat'i on to form thereby a mold having communicating molding s aces, then tempos 'rarily centering bolt ho e cores throughthe bolt holes in the rail webs and j'oint'meme hers, thencasting plastic insulating material in said molding spaces to form an lnte ated moving said cores.

3. An'insulated rail joint'having an insulation consisting ofan integrated molded body of insulating material cast between therails and joint members.

4. In an insulated rail joint, the combination with the rails and joint members, -of a continuousintegral molded, body of insulat- 5. In 'an ins lated rail joint, the combinaintegral bodyof insulating material entirely envelopingthesidesand bottomsof therall ing material cast on and between said rails '6. In an insulated rail joint, thecombination with the rails and joint members, of an filling the spaces between the rails andjoint plates and also lining the bolt ghol'es therein.

- "In testimony whereof I hereunto afi'ix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER.

.- Witnesses: v 4

E. F. SCHERMERHORN, ANNA M. COYNER.

' integralmolded'body-ofinsulating material 110. 

